Coded electric locking mechanism



Sept. 6, 1966 5, HOLY 3,271,629

CODED ELECTRIC LOCKING MECHANISM Filed July l, 1965 Ob OQ OQ 0% OQ,

OR? OW Om OQ O OM Om Ob. OS O91 United States Patent O 3,271,629 CODED ELECTRIC LOCKING MECHANISM Stephan Holy, 431 E. 9th St., New York, N.Y. Filed July 1, 1965, Ser. No. 468,854 1 Claim. (Cl. 317-134) This invention relates in general to combination locks and more particularly to a coded electrical combination lock.

Heretofore, combination locks have been either of the mechanical type where a preset code is set into tumblers and the correct sequence of numbers line up the tumblers so that the lock opens up or of the electrical type which electrically line up the tumblers so that the lock can open up upon the correct sequence of buttons or pulses being pushed or generated.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved means for coding a lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved coded electrical lock.

A further object of the `invention is to provide a coded electrical lock which is capable of being recoded.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coded electrical lock Which is small, compact, endurable and economical to manufacture.

To these ends the invention contemplates the use of coding buttons which are mounted on a plate.- The coding buttons are connected to two sets of electromagnets, one set of electromagnets being activated by the correct coding buttons and the other set being activated by any one of the incorrect coding buttons.

When an electromagnet is activated by a correct coding button it energizes a switch so that current Can flow through. If the invention switch line is inserted into the ignition switch line of a car then the correct coding of the electromagnets have to be implemented before the ignition switch of a car could be energized to allow the car to be started.

The invention has other objects and advantages which will appear from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in wh-ich:

FIGURE l shows a plan view of the main plate of the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a longitudinal cross sectional view of the invention shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of the electromagnets assembled on their plate;

FIGURE 4 shows a cross sectional view of the electromagnets and switch of the invention shown in FIG- a URE 3;

FIGURE 5 shows a plan cross sectional view of the invention shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 shows a schematic representation of the invention.

With reference to the drawing FIGURE 2 shows a top plate 10 and a bottom plate 11. The top plate can be made of either a nonelectrical conductive material or material such as stainless steel for hardness and wearability, whereas the bottom plate is made of `an electrical conductive material, The two plates are separated by two side pieces 12 and 13 which are made of non-electrical conductive materials. Mounted within the top plate 10 are movable buttons 15. Each butt-on is given a code letter or number which is marked onto the top plate adjacent to the button. The buttons have pins 16 inserted therein, the pins protruding from the bottom part of the buttons 15. The pins are made of electrical conductive materials.

The buttons are supported by conical springs 17. The springs are mounted between the buttons 15 and the 3,271,529 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 bottom plate 11 so as to bias the buttons against the top plate 10 thereby returning the buttons to their original position whenever they are depressed therefrom. The springs 17 are made from electrical conductive materials.

Mounted on the bottom plate 11 are rivets 18. These rivets are axially aligned with the buttons 15 of the top plate. The rivets are made of non-electrical conductive materials. Pins 19 are inserted through the center of the rivets so that they are axially aligned with the pins 16. The pins protruding from each end of the rivets 18. Each Iof the pins 19 are connected to each other by means of a wire 21.

Referring to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 there lis shown thereon eight (8) electromagnets 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29. The electromagnets 22 and 26, 23 and 27, 24 and 2S, and 25 and 29 there is respectively mounted switching means 32, 33, 34 and 35.

The switching means is comprised of a mounting block 36, an anchor shaped connecting bar 37 pivotally mounted by means of a pivot pin 38 on the mounting block 36. The connecting bar is made of non-electrical conducting material except that there are permanent magnets 39 and 41 mounted at the ends of each arm.

The magnets 39 and 41 can be regulated as to their distance from the electromagnets by means of regulating screws 30 and 40 respectively. The bottom of the body of the connecting rod is covered with copper 42 lor some other good electrical conducting material. In juxtaposition with the copper bottom 42 of the connecting rod 37 is clip 43. Clips 46, 45 and 44 being juxtapositioned respectively with switching means 32, 33 and 34. The clips are series connected with an ignition switch 47 by means of wire leads 48 and 49.

The operation of the coded electrical combination lock will now be explained more fully. Assuming one were to select the code BD9A as the code desired to be placed into the combination lock. Then the wires 21 connected to pins 19 of coded position BD9A are cut off, thereby isolating those particular pins. Referring to FIGURE 6 it is schematically shown that pin 19 of code B is connected to electromagnet 29 by means lof lead 51; pin 19 of code D is connected to electromagnet 28 by means of lead 52; pin 19 of code 9 is connected to electromagnet 27 by means of lead 53; `and pin 19 of code A is connected to electromagnet 26 by means of lead 54.

Electric current is supplied to the invention and it may either be A.C. or D.C. depending upon the inventions contemplated use. In the described mode we contemplate the use of D.C current. The D.C. current is supplied to the invention through plate 11 at point 55. The return of the D.C. current is to ground as shown in FIG- URE 6 by the ground leads coming from the electromagnets.

When button 15 of code B is depressed the D.C. current from point 55 goes through plate 11, spring 17, pin 16, pin 19 and through lead 51 to electromagnet 29 to ground. As the electromagnet 29 is energized it attracts the permanent magnet 41 on connecting bar 37 of switching means 35. The copper coated bottom 42 of the bar 37 is pushed into the clip 43 of switching means 35 completing the electrical connection across the clip. This is schematically represented in FIGURE 6 as a relay switch. The connecting bar will remain in this position even after the button is released cutting off the D.C. current to the electromagnet as the permanent magnet remains attracted to the iron core of the electromagnet.

When button 15 of code D is depressed the D C. current from point 55 goes through plate 11, spring 17, pin 16, pin 19, and through lead 52 to electromagnet 28 to ground. As the electromagnet 28 is energized it attracts the permanent magnet 41 on connecting bar 37 of switching means 34. The copper coated bottom 42 of the bar 37 is pushed into the clip 43 of switching means 34 completing the electrical connection across the clip.

When butt-on of code 9 is depressed the D.C. current from point 55 goes through plate 11, spring 17, pin 16, pin 19, and through lead 53 to electromagnet 27 to ground. As the electromagnet 27 is energized it attracts the permanent magnet 41 on connecting bar 37 of switching means 33. The copper coated bottom 42 of the bar 37 is pushed Iinto the clip 43 of switching means 33 completing the electrical connection across the clip.

When button 15 of code A is depressed the D.C. current from point 55 goes through plate 11, spring 17, pin 16, pin 19, land through lead 53 to electromagnet 26 to ground. As the electromagnet 26 is energized it attracts the permanent magnet 41 on connecting bar 37 of switching means 32. The copper coated bottom 42 of the bar 37 is pushed into the clip 43 of switching means 32 completing the electrical connection across the clip.

When all the connections across the clips of switching means 32, 33, 34 and 35 have been completed the circuit across the igniti-on switch or any other type of switch or connection which requires an electrical circuit, can be utilized.

Should someone unfamiliar with the code try to operate the device it is readily seen and shown that any button, which does not belong to the coded group, is depressed it immediately energized the electromagnets 25, 24, 23 and 22 by means of the D.C. current from point 55, plate 11, spring 17, pin 16, pin 19 and through lead 56 to electromagnets 25, 24, 23 and 22 to ground.

As these electromagnets are energized they attract the permanent magnets 39 on connecting bars 37 of switching means 35, 34, 33 and 32 respectively.

Therefore, even though three of the four coded buttons were correctly pushed touching a wrong button immediately decodes the entire device.

Although I have described particular embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that numerous changes `in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

A coded electrical combination lock comprising, a plurality of electromagnetic relays each having rst and second energization coils and each having rst and second electrical contacts, Vsaid relays being of the type having a pivotal bar whereby energization of the first coil will cause said pivotal bar to close rst and second contacts and energization of said second coil will open said contacts, said relays including holding means whereby the pivotal bar will remain in the condition associated with the energization of each respective coil until the subsequent energization of the opposite coil, all of said iirst and second contacts being in series with a utilization circuit, a plurality of push buttons each having a rst and second contact, a rst group of said push buttons electrically arranged in such a manner so that to depress any one would energize all of said second relay coils, a sec-- ond group of said push buttons electrically arranged so that each one will energize a respective first coil of each of the plurality of said relays so that when every one of said second group of push buttons is depressed the utilization circuit is complete, and if any one of said first group of push buttons is depressed before all of said second group of push buttons, all of said second coils will be energized and the utilization circuit will be opened.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,444,552 7/ 1948 Brantingson 200-159 2,561,076 7/1951 Tassin 317-134 2,843,843 7/1958 Davis 200-159 X 2,855,588 10/1958 Allen 317-134 X 3,139,561 6/1964 Madonna 317-134 MILTON O, HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner.

I. A. SILVERMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

